Wales rugby coach Warren Gatland hails Gethin Jenkins as "sensational player"

Gethin Jenkins has been described as “a sensational player” as he prepares to secure  membership of Wales’  100-cap club.

Jenkins will reach the three-figure  landmark tomorrow when he lines up  against Millennium Stadium opponents Argentina, joining fellow Welsh  centurions Stephen Jones, Gareth  Thomas and Martyn Williams.

While considerable interest surrounds Wales coach Warren Gatland’s  changes for the game, which include a Test debut for 20-year-old Cardiff Blues  centre Cory Allen and Dan Biggar back at fly-half, prop Jenkins’ feat rightly commands centre-stage.

“He had a phenomenal game last  week (against South Africa). I think he  is a sensational player,” Gatland said of  the 32-year-old Blues forward, who  made his first Wales appearance in 2002  and has featured in five British and  Irish Lions Tests.

“He has dropped four or five kgs and  he is looking really fit at the moment.  He has been training hard.

For me, it is a fantastic milestone for  someone who has been a great servant  of Welsh rugby.

“I hope we can go out there on  Saturday and give a performance that  reflects his contribution to Welsh  rugby in that we play well and win.”

Gatland has made four switches  from the side beaten 24-15 by South  Africa, with Allen replacing an injured  Jonathan Davies alongside Scott Williams in midfield and Biggar starting  instead of Rhys Priestland.

In the pack, Scarlets front-row prospect Rhodri Jones takes over from  Adam Jones, who has a calf problem,  and an ankle injury sidelines flanker  Dan Lydiate, so Justin Tipuric wears the  number seven shirt and skipper Sam  Warburton moves to blindside.

Rhodri Jones, 21, first featured for  Wales against the Barbarians last year,  and he was also part of the 2013 summer  tour to Japan.

He has won two caps, but was only  called up by Gatland last Sunday as  squad injury cover.

Biggar, meanwhile, was the Wales  number 10 throughout last season’s  title-winning Six Nations campaign,  taking his opportunities well while  Priestland was sidelined with an  Achilles tendon injury.

And the highly-rated Allen, who cut  his representative teeth on the international sevens circuit with Wales, has  a golden chance to impress Gatland  building towards the autumn finale  against Australia on November 30 and  further ahead to World Cup 2015.

“With Jonathan being injured we are  looking for some cover in the centres. It  is a chance for a young guy to develop at  centre and get some strength in depth  there,” Gatland added.

“The number 10 call was a  tough call last week. The plan  was to play one in the first  game and one in the second  game, and we will probably  look at James Hook next week  (against Tonga), then  make a decision on  the Australia  game.

“With Adam  Jones being injured we’ve had  Rhodri in with us.  He has been going  well and we’ve  been impressed  with him, and with  Dan (Lydiate) injured  we have spoken to  Sam about playing  six.

“It is the same  back-row that  played against England in the Six Nations.”

Wales have not won an autumn  international since they beat Argentina 33-16 four years ago,  while the Pumas prevailed 12  months ago during a demoralising  November series for Wales that produced four home losses.

“The challenge on Saturday is obvious from  the disappointment of  last year,” Gatland said.

“We have been working this week in terms  of some support lines  and making sure  that when we make  a break our lines of  support are a bit better than they were  against South Africa.

“It is just encouraging  the players to have the  ability to play what is in  front of them.

“We give them the structure, but that  doesn’t mean we are inhibiting them in  any way. For me, the most exciting part  of the game last week was Rhys Priestland running the ball from his own  goal-line and having the vision to see  that and move the ball.

“We want to encourage the players to  do that and have that confidence to go  out there and express themselves.

“We’ve had a hit-out now, and we  need to improve from last weekend,  finishing off the chances we create.

“When Jonathan Davies went  through, if you look at the lines of  support they were not positive  enough.

“The top teams finish it off when  they make a break because their support lines are so positive and they get  on the inside of the pass.

“We are working on the fine margins  now to try to get this team to that top  level. Those little one per-centers are  now a huge priority for us.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/24937402

Wales rugby coach Warren Gatland hails Gethin Jenkins as "sensational player"